Best Tips On How To Write A Scholarship Essay
Scholarship essays captivate readers and encourage them to care about you. Writing a good essay is not always easy. It takes time to put words on paper and finesse each sentence to convey the correct meaning. While there is no right or wrong way to write a great essay, a good scholarship essay should be:
- Original
- States clearly why you deserve to win
- Has a main point
- Avoids meaningless information
- Is more than just a sob story
- Is honest
Scholarship committees review many applications and may use the essays to differentiate applicants. You need a coherent and interesting essay to help you stand out from other candidates.
The following tips are important to writing a successful scholarship essay:
Consider The Topic
If the essay is asking you to address what motivated you to select your major or your career goals, do not submit an essay that you wrote for your English class simply because it fits the word limit requirement.
Think of the essay as a scholarship interview. The only difference is that you need to convince the committee through your essay and not in person.
Prepare Your Facts
- Think about each question or topic and make an outline to fit.
- Make a list of your achievements/accomplishments, community involvement, leadership positions or other roles you have served in school or your community.
- Make a list of your personal characteristics including your strengths, weaknesses, and any obstacles you have overcome or are currently confronting.
- Determine key pieces of information you feel the committee should know about you and have concrete examples to demonstrate your points.
Writing The Essay
The Introduction – start off with a strong introduction. You want your essay to stand out from all the others. Be sure your introduction captures the reader’s attention and compels them to learn as much as they can about you in the following paragraphs.
Be Personal – make sure the committee can assess what type of person you are and what motivates you.
Be Specific – give examples. Do not simply tell the committee you are a leader, give an example of how you have demonstrated leadership.
Turn Negatives Into Positives – if you have an obvious weakness such as limited extracurricular activities, try to show the committee that you have been particularly involved with your family or within the classes you have taken depending on your personal situation.
Follow Standard Grammar And Writing Rules – make sure that your body paragraphs relate to your introduction and that your conclusion summarizes the points you have made in your essay.
Review Your Essay
- Proofread your essay
- Let several people read your essay
- Edit it for clarity, conciseness, grammar, and spelling
- Ensure that you addressed the essay topic
- Does the essay convey who you are and why you should receive a scholarship?
- Is your essay interesting?
- Does your essay meet the word count requirement?